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She must not have noticed my sarcasm, or she didn’t care, because she dove right in. “You… affiliating yourself with one of them will reflect badly on us. It’s damning enough that both a lord protector and your supreme commander have already mated themselves to humans. You doing so, too, is out of the question.”
“Is that so?” I asked dangerously low.
Again, she willfully ignored the change in my mood and the slow flaring of my temper. Nobody told me what to do. Nobody! Not even her, one of my closest advisors.
“You know it’s so!” She doubled down, her eyes sparkled with her own anger.
She picked up a crystal decanter, turned it to catch the light, and put it back down. When she looked up, her eyes were softer and she walked over to me, placing her palm on my chest. “Daryus.”
I stared down at her. Once upon a time, we had been lovers. A long time ago. Before she became my master of intelligence. It was for that old time’s sake that I didn’t take her hand off my chest, a touch that didn’t bring out any feelings in me. My cock remained flaccid, there was no desire in me for her. Despite the memories of what an excellent lover she was.
Once upon a time, I had entertained the idea of making her my empress, but that notion had been short-lived. Even then I knew how ambitious she was, how ruthless she could be. That, coupled with my flaring temper, would not have made a good match. I was certain sooner rather than later we would have eaten each other alive. Not to mention how bad of an empress she would have made for the empire. Lady Madeema had only one goal in mind, well, two: power and making herself happy.
She noticed my lack of response. With a small huff she removed her hand from my chest. “What is it with these humans that makes you males go crazy?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say she makes me crazy,” I said, thinking it was the opposite. She calmed me. But I wasn’t about to admit that to Lady Madeema. She was too dangerous to give that kind of information to.
“Then fine. Go ahead, fuck your little human, get it out of your system. But please, please, do it quietly and discreetly.”
Her only saving grace was that she said please this time. My blood was already simmering inside my veins and my patience was about to run out.
“I will do as I damn well please, Lady Madeema.” I allowed the edge that wanted to break free into my voice.
“Of course, Your Imperial Highness,” she acquiesced.
“Was there anything else?” I demanded. “Anything actually useful? Like any reports on the Cryons’ little experiments?”
“I’m afraid not yet,” she admitted.
“Then find me the proof you need, instead of berating me about who I can and cannot spend my time with.”
“Vra, Your Imperial Highness.” She curtsied and thankfully had the good sense to leave.
With a deep sigh, I waited until the doors shut behind her, picking up the decanter she lifted earlier. I was about to fling it against the door she had vanished behind, but stopped myself. With effort I placed it back down, only to pace the room agitatedly. Lady Madeema hadn’t said anything I hadn’t thought myself. Still, hearing it from her was unnerving, to say the least. Most of all, because it was true.
Any time I spent with Heather would reflect negatively on me and the Pandraxian Empire. The Cryons had their spies here at court, just like Lady Madeema’s and mine extracted information at Colynth for us. Every tick I spent with Heather would be brought up at the GTU hearing and diminish our case. Not that Earth’s fate mattered that much to me beyond finding mekarry bonds for my subjects, but they were intelligent beings and didn’t deserve what the Cryons were doing to them. The only power that could stop them was the GTU, and they would only step in if the Pandraxian Empire insisted. Nobody else would.
I eyed the decanter, pondering how good the sound of shattering glass against the door or wall would feel. The sound would still the raging in my blood for a while. Only for a while though. What I really yearned for was Heather’s soothing company, to shut all these voices and raging emotions up. Peace. That’s what Heather brought me. That’s what I craved.
My stomach had fluttered nervously ever since I left the park, or more accurately, ever since Daryus left the park. It was a constant nervous sensation and I caught myself several times rubbing my belly, to try and alleviate the anxiety. It didn’t help.
“Are you ready for your second meeting with Sir Vodin?” Lady Natoi inquired when she caught me for the fifth time staring at the closed doors.
“I suppose I am,” I lied, looking over my wardrobe one more time. The dress I wore tonight was a lot more subdued in coloring than the one Lady Natoi made me wear last night. It seemed her input in my wardrobe was only warranted when Daryus invited me. A fact I didn’t bemoan in the least, but I was becoming increasingly concerned that Daryus had changed his mind and didn’t want to see me for dinner after all.
My concern included Sir Vodin as well, because he was a nice man and I didn’t like disappointing him at the last minute. Finally, there was a loud knock on the door and a repeat of the scene from last night, except this time Lady Natoi didn’t assume the invitation was for her.
“Well, I wish he would have sent his request a bit earlier,” Lady Natoi fumed at the servant.
“I beg your pardon, Lady Natoi. Do you wish me to relay your words to the emperor?” the servant asked, and I turned to hide my smirk which wasn’t very appropriate, but hard to suppress.
“Oh, for the love of Staphor, of course not, you dimwitted… koloch. Tell His Imperial Highness the merrily will be there shortly.” She dismissed the servant before turning to me. “What a mess. I suppose there isn’t any time to get you dressed more appropriately now… ” She heaved out a loud sigh. “Maybe that will teach His Imperial Highness that he is wasting his time with the likes of you. What he sees in you beyond being curious about a human I will never understand. I suppose it’s up to me to reschedule your meeting with Sir Vodin. A fine mess you got me in, Heather, a fine mess.”
Tsking and shaking her head, Lady Natoi poured herself a glass of what on Earth might have been a sherry for the highborn ladies, or at least that’s how it had always been portrayed in the movies I watched, and drank it down in one swallow.
“Go, go. What are you waiting for, you lazy piece of koloch? Move.” She waved her hands, shooing me out of her suite.
In all honesty, I was a bit irritated with Daryus for having waited until the last moment, even though it meant I got to wear something to my liking instead of what Lady Natoi deemed appropriate. I wondered if he had suspected anything like this and that was the reason why the invitation came so late, or if he enjoyed playing mind games with me or Sir Vodin. I hoped it wasn’t the latter, because I didn’t like the idea at all, but decided I would ask him nevertheless.
